"I'm delighted that my story "El Dorado" has been chosen for this year's British Council Prize. This award is especially gratifying because I once was a British Council fellow (1990-1991) and I've often felt that the year I spent studying in Britain was a turning point in my academic career. The contest is a great opportunity for Moroccan writers to showcase their work and I hope that the British Council continues to sponsor such events."

Who is Laila Lalami ?

Laila Lalami was born in Morocco and has studied in Morocco, Britain, and the United States. She holds a Master's degree in linguistics from University College London and a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Southern California. After a few years working in academia and in industry, she now devotes herself to writing full time.  She has published several research papers in scholarly journals, journalistic pieces for the daily Al Bayane, and a few Op-Eds for the Los Angeles Times.